Dog-friendly Trails in Los Angeles

Below is a collection of over 75 hikes around Los Angeles that allow canine accompaniment. As a general rule, national forests and national recreation areas are dog-friendly, opening up plenty of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Angeles National Forest, LA’s two biggest parks. California State Parks do not usually allow dogs on trails, but city and county parks do. The most dog-friendly park in LA is the well-known Runyon Canyon Park, where there are actually off-leash areas where dogs can run free. Dogs are also allowed to be off leash under direct supervision in Westridge–Canyonback Wilderness Park and a few other parks around Los Angeles. On other trails, dogs are expected to be on a leash. Rattlesnakes are prevalent around LA, especially in the spring, so be careful hiking with your dog.

In addition to browsing the list below, you can also search for dog-friendly trails near you by using the Hike Finder Map. Uncheck the box next to “Doesn’t Allow Dogs” to only view trails that are open to dogs.

Bailey catches her breath on Upper Canyonback Ridge

Good trails for dogs around Los Angeles

These dog-friendly hikes are separated by region and listed alphabetically to make it easy for you to get outdoors with your dog. Enjoy!

Charmlee Wilderness ParkThis 3.25-mile loop is one of several possible hikes in this bluff-top park with ocean views over Malibu.

Corral CanyonThis 2.5-mile loop offers ocean and canyon views from a unspoiled section of the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu.

Escondido FallsThis 4-mile out and back visits a 200-foot waterfall that is split into two tiers. The upper tier is 150 feet tall and stunning after a rainstorm (but the trail is steep and may be difficult for small dogs).

Ferndell TrailThis relaxing half-mile hike goes through a tropical garden in the lushest little canyon in Griffith Park. Explore further on a 1.75-mile hike in Western Canyon or venture up to the Griffith Observatory to see more of the park.

Fryman Canyon LoopThis 3-mile loop follows Betty B. Dearing Trail through Wilacre Park and Coldwater Canyon Park around Fryman Canyon in the Studio City side of the Hollywood Hills.

Getty View ParkThis 3-mile out and back hike crosses East Sepulveda Fire Road (Casiano Fire Road) on a ridge east of the 405 Freeway that offers light traffic and plentiful views of the Getty Museum and Santa Monica Bay.

The GrottoThis 3-mile out and back visits a remote grotto in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Dogs are permitted along the trail, but not allowed over the last 1/8 mile through the grotto itself.

Old Zoo Picnic AreaThis half-mile hike explores the abandoned exhibits and animal cages in the ruins of the old LA Zoo in Griffith Park.

Paramount RanchThis segment of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area includes Western Town, an outdoor set cast as frontier towns in TV and film since the 1950s. There are also several miles of hiking trails to explore.

Red Rock CanyonThe trails in the beautifully sculpted Red Rock Canyon are 2.5 and 5.2 miles in length.

Rocky Oaks ParkThis short and easy hike visits a pond and a scenic overlook in a small parcel of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Runyon CanyonThis 1.65 or 2.65-mile loop tours the most popular dog park in Los Angeles. Both loops offer good exercise and views over Hollywood.

Saddle Peak from Stunt High TrailThis 7.5-mile hike combines Stunt High Trail and a section of the Backbone Trail to visit the 6th tallest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Sullivan RidgeA prominent lone-standing Live Oak along Sullivan Ridge makes a natural turnaround point and a 7.5 to 8.3 mile round trip hike.

Summit to Summit MotorwayThis mostly unpaved road along the ridge between the tops of Old Topanga Canyon Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard provides a 6 to 6.6-mile hike with panoramic views over the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Fernando Valley (with the potential for shorter and longer hikes).

Vanalden CaveThis 0.6-mile round trip hike visits a unique sandstone cave that you can stand inside and above. The hike can be extended to 1.55 miles round trip to visit a nearby vista point with a panoramic perspective of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Millard FallsThis one mile hike visits a 50-foot waterfall up one of the most scenic canyons in the range.

Monrovia FallsThis 1.6-mile to 3-mile hike in Monrovia Canyon Park follows an enchanting canyon up to the base of the 30-foot waterfall.

Mount Baden-PowellThis 8.25-mile round trip hike ascends 2,834 feet to one of the tallest summits in the San Gabriel Mountains and a monument to Lord Baden-Powell, a BSA icon and the founder of the Scout Movement.

Mount HillyerThis 6,215-foot summit can be reach from two trailheads for a 1.33 to 6.25-mile hike gaining between 575 and 1,000 feet.

Mount WatermanThe 5.5 to 6 miler can be completed as an out and back hike or a loop, traveling through a pine forest to a round summit. Add six miles to the hike by dropping across a saddle and climbing to the summit of Twin Peaks.

Portuguese Bend ReserveThis 5.15-mile double loop explores the scenic coastal hillsides and canyons in Portuguese Bend Reserve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and can easily be shortened to 3 miles round trip by omitting the lower loop.

What a wonderful site. I just got a new-to-me dog whose favorite thing is to take long, brisk walks. Having her also affords me the opportunity to visit areas of LA that I’ve never been to before (or in many cases even knew about!). This list of dog trails will serve us both very well. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

watch out for rattlesnakes on cold creek trail. My dog and I were almost bitten by one, thankfully my dogs coat was so thick that the fangs snagged in it and didn’t bite her. But I still had to run her to the nearest animal hospital to make sure.

The double-crested mountain of Twin Peaks is located close to the absolute center of the San Gabriel Mountains, making it an ideal mountain for catching big views over the range, including high points like Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, and a slew of other summits. A trail leads to the 7,761-foot summit of Twin Peaks East, the higher of Twin Peak's sibling summits. Cross... Read more.

Gould Mesa Trail Camp is a hike-in campground in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains, quite close to cities like Altadena and La Cañada Flintridge. The most obvious route to Gould Mesa is Gabrielino Trail. For something that's about half as long and twice as steep, you can take Gould Mesa Road, which drops 525 feet over 1.15 miles going from Angeles Crest... Read more.

Gabrielino Trail is one of the principle trails through Angeles National Forest. Starting from the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, you can take this trail a short distance up a canyon along the lovely Arroyo Seco and come to Gould Mesa Trail Camp, a hike-in campground just a couple miles from civilization that delivers a quick escape from cities in the valley below. ... Read more.

Perched on the slopes of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory is a true Los Angeles landmark. Roads lead up to the impressive structure and so do trails. For a 2.1-mile round trip hike to Griffith Observatory, venture up West Observatory Trail from Fern Dell Drive in Western Canyon. The trail ascends 540 feet and provides a good little workout as it... Read more.

The short trail through Ferndell in Griffith Park is an out-of-the-ordinary walking path for Los Angeles, bordering a stream that nourishes tropical plants under the shade of sycamores. Even when other parts of Griffith Park dry out and turn brown, Ferndell stays lush and green, thanks to the recycled water it receives from Griffith Observatory. The relaxing quarter-mile... Read more.

Plot your next adventure with hikespeak.com. Select a region below and browse through searchable sortable lists of trails. There are over 500 hikes to choose from, as well as information on campgrounds and other outdoor attractions, so start exploring!